change the rules for traveling in the European Union: the ECDC contagion map and the risk level of the country of origin will no longer count, but only your personal situation. Citizens with full vaccination, recovered from Covid for less than 180 days or with a negative test, will be able to move freely within the EU, without having to undergo quarantines or further tests.
It will be this the new recommendation which the European affairs ministers will approve during the meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday 25 January. The aim is to respond to the requests of the EU Commission - which for months has been calling for a "common and coordinated" approach among the countries of the Union - by establishing simple rules that each Member State will have to respect, allowing travelers to move freely, thus as foreseen by the Schengen Agreement. Each country will have the possibility of introducing more restrictive rules based on the epidemiological situation, but the recommendation is to avoid forward leaps similar to those seen in recent weeks, a period in which the various governments have moved in no particular order, introducing entry tests and mandatory quarantines. Among these there is also Italy which, amidst the controversies, has established the obligation of a molecular or antigenic swab for those arriving from another EU state. The measure is in force until January 31st and, by virtue of the agreement reached at European level, it may not be renewed.
Based on what reported by El Pais, the 27 ambassadors to the EU have already drawn up a draft which will be presented to the general affairs council dtomorrows. The new recommendation provides that people who have completed the vaccination cycle, have recovered from Covid or have a negative test, will not have to undergo new tests or be forced to respect a quarantine period.
The traveller's country of origin will no longer matter e the incidence map of the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) will continue to be prepared weekly, but will be "purely informative".
In addition to the possibility of moving freely within the EU, the new recommendation provides that the green pass obtained after vaccination will remain valid for 9 months, while the one issued to those who have recovered from Covid will be valid for 180 days. However, the rules for the certification granted to those who undergo anti-Covid tests could change: the result of the molecular PCRs will remain valid for 72 hours, that of the antigen tests will be halved, from 48 hours to just 24 hours.
